Council of the Isles of Scilly
A strong and sustainable island community
  • Adult Social Care
Park House

Considering Moving To A Residential Home? Advice On Charges For Accommodation

Making a decision

Moving into residential or nursing home care is major decision to take. This set of pages briefly explains the initial steps you need to take if you are considering a care home, and which organisations can offer help and advice.

The information is provided by:

Adult Social Care
Council of the Isles of Scilly
Town Hall, St Mary's
Isles of Scilly.
Tel: O1720 424 000

who may be contacted for further advice.

Alternatives to residential home care
Support at home, respite care, specialist housing

If you are having difficulty coping at home, due to old age, disability or mental health problems, there are an increasing number of services available to help you continue living safely and independently at home, before you consider moving into a care home. Adult Social Care offer personal care, meals on wheels and cleaning. There are also voluntary organisations who can offer other sorts of help; the Adult Social Care Department can advise you on how to contact them.

Many people also find that respite care a short break) in a residential or nursing home enables them to continue living independently at home, avoiding the need for permanent residential care. In addition to having a break away from home, the experience of respite care also helps them to make a better decision about requesting permanent care, should the need arise. To find out more about alternatives to residential care you can contact:

I am considering moving to a care home: How can Adult Social Care help?
Getting an assessment if you think you will need help with the fees

If you think you will need help to meet the cost of a care home, either now or in the future, you (or someone acting on your behalf)should contact Adult Social Care and ask for an assessment. An assessment means that someone from Adult Social Care will visit you, usually at home or in hospital to discuss your situation with you and help you to decide whether a move to a care home is appropriate.

If your assessment by Adult Social Care shows that moving to a care home is the most appropriate form of care for you a financial assessment will be arranged. All information will be treated confidentially.

How will my contribution towards the cost of care be worked out?

Under the National Assistance (Assessment of Resources Regulations 1992) residents must pay for their accommodation in full unless they can satisfy the Local Authority that they have insufficient resources to do so. The contributions residents make towards the fees will depend on their circumstances and will be calculated in the way set out in national regulation.

An assessed contribution towards the cost of the Home's weekly fee is arrived at by adding together income from all sources and subtracting the value of various allowances.

You will be told what the weekly charge will be; if you stay for only part of the week your contribution will cover each night of accommodation.

Is there a capital limit?

Yes. A resident with more that £23,250 capital is liable to pay the full amount of the fees in a Residential Home and Adult Social Care will not ask for information on ability to pay. Please note if the Council is satisfied that capital has been given away in order to reduce charges, charges will be calculated on the basis of the full capital amount.

What is counted as income?

Income consists of:

  • All State benefits - except Disability Living Allowance (mobility component) and Mobility Allowance
  • Attendance Allowance/ Disability Living Allowance - (care component) will be included for the first four weeks for permanent residents after which it is withdrawn.
  • Occupation and Superannuation Pension- 50% of any occupational pension paid to a resident will be ignored where the resident is passing that amount to his /her spouse for the spouse's maintenance.
  • Other money income
  • Tariff income on capital - calculated as £1,000 per week for every £250 or part of £250 over £12,500.
  • Rents - in some cases the assessed rent from a dwelling house.

Do I have an allowance for personal expenses?

Yes. Your personal allowance is £22.30 per week, reviewed annually by the Secretary of State.

Can I claim Pension Credit?

Most people can claim Pension Credit on the same basis as if they were living in their own home.

It is always advisable to make a claim for Pension Credit before admission to the Home. Adult Social Care can give you some help on this, but to make an application and to get detailed advice you should contact the Pension Service Pension Credit Advice Service (tel: 0800 783 1360. textphone: 0800 169 0133). It often takes some weeks before Pension Credit is paid, but the additional benefit will be taken into account as part of your contribution from the day it is awarded; the amount of your contribution will therefore usually increase once we know how much Pension Credit you have been given.

Are any allowances made for any housing expenses I may still have?

Yes. Allowances will be made against the housing costs of temporary residents. These will include rent/mortgage payments, Council Tax, Water Charges and Building and Contents insurance.

Will I have to sell my property?

The capital value of your property will be taken into account once it has been agreed that you will be staying permanently in residential care (usually about six weeks after admission to the Home). It is then expected that active moves will be made for the property to be sold. The property should be placed with an Estate agent and valued at a realistic price.

Once the property has been sold (we would expect this to be within 6 months of it having been placed on the market) the money realised will be taken into account and the cost of your care revised accordingly.

Will this affect the fees I have to pay?

Sale of a property will usually result in a resident being liable to meet the full weekly fee of the Home. The revised charge will be backdated to the date of your admission to the home or the date from which the Adult Social Care Department became financially responsible for the fees.

Are there any exceptions to this?

Yes. where a resident no longer occupies a dwelling as his or her home it's value will be disregarded where it is occupied by the resident's spouse ore relative who:

  • Is aged 60 or over, or
  • Is aged under 16 and is a child who the resident is liable to maintain.
  • Is incapacitated

The Local Authority Adult Social Care Department has the discretionary power to disregard the value of the property where a third party continues to live on the premises where that person has given up their own home to care for the resident or the person is an elderly companion of the resident.

The Authority retains the discretion to decide if and when to review the decision to disregard the value of the property. The Adult Social Care Department can offer advice if your situation regarding ownership of the property is complicated, for example joint ownership with someone who does not fit into any of the categories above.

The Adult Social Care Department must be informed of any change in your financial circumstances so that a reassessment of charges can be undertaken.